Washing and cooling means for the plungers of high-pressure homogenizer pumps and the like



"R. A. YOHPE 2,591,902

WASHING AND COOLING MEANS FOR THE PLUNGERS OF HIGH-PRESSURE HOMOGENIZER PUMPS'AND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 22, 1947 April 8, 1952 mmvrox. v

Patented Apr. 8, 1952 jif-cmrao STAT ES PATENT 0 Fries WASHING AND COOLING MEANS FOR THE PLUNGERS 0F HIGHJRESSURE HOMO- GENIKER PUMPS AND THE LIKE Reinhard A. Yohpe, Battle Creek, Mich., assignor to Union Steam Pump Company, Battle Creek,

Mich.

Original application October 22, 1947, Serial No. 781,420. Divided and this application January 10, 1949, Serial No. 70,046

6 Claims. (Cl. 103204) This invention relates to improvements in washing and cooling means for the plungers of high pressure homogenizer pumps and the like.

. The subject matter of this invention has been divided from 'my copending application for ,Hor'no'genizer Pumps andthe Like Adapted for Pumping Food Materials and Other Materials Reduiring St erile Conditions, Serial No. 781,420, filed October 22, 1947.

The principal objectsof this invention are:

" First. to provide novel means for supplying a cooling and lubricating fluid to the plungers of a homogenizer pump so that the plungers are fluid 'toa homogenizer pump which means is readilycontrollable to assure the supply of the correct amount of fluid. at all times and which compensates for minor variations in the pressure of the Thefdrawings. of which there is one sheet, il-

lustrate a preferred form of-coolant supply and control mechanism associated with a homogenizer pump.

. Figfl is a fragmentary vertioal cross sectional view taken longitudinally through one .of the pump cylinders and along the plane-of the line F4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the pump shown inFig. 1, partially broken away invertical cross Section along the planes of the broken line 2-4 in Fig. 1.

. In the structure illustrated the housing I is designed, tocontain the power unit including the motorv and transmission and other parts the details of which form no part of the present inven- 2 which is provided with a pair of packings I. "A drip opening 5 opens from between the packings to the bottom of the gland. The packings 4 and drip opening 5 function to prevent the entrance of any residue of cooling fluid onthe plunger rod into the housing I as it is of primary importance that no foreign substance such as the'cooling "or lubricating fluid or the material being pumpedshall be permitted to reach the power unit.

I A cylinder block 6 is mounted on the front end of thehousing I. the mounting means not bein illustrated. This cylinder blockis provided with three cylinder bores 1 within which the plungers 8 are reciprocable to exert high pressure on the ma- .terial being pumped. The details of the construction and operation of the plungers and their associated valves is more particularly described and claimed in my copending application referred to above. So far as the present invention is con- 20 cerned it is suflicient to point out that the cylinder block 6 is provided with an extension ll'on its rear side through which the bores 1 extend.

, Since the several plungers and bores are identif cal only one willbe described. 25

The. rear end of the bore 1 is shouldered as at H! forming a seat for the packing throat I l. The rearend of the-plunger 8 is provided with an enlarged collar [2 which is of such a size as to pass through the bore 1 and may be used as a tappet for forcing the packing throat forwardly through the bore. The collar I2 is flattened as at [3 to receivea wrench and the extreme rear end of the plunger is formed as a threaded stud l4 adapted to engage a threaded socket in the forward end of the plunger rod 2. v

It will be noted that the cylinder block 6 is spaced substantially forwardly of the packing gland 3 on the plunger rod and that the housing I isprovided with a forward extension l5 forming .a drip well IS. A removable cover H for the drip well is provided with a depending apron l8 spaced to the rear of the extension 9 on the cylinder block. 'Ifheapron I.8 is provided with half round tion. 2 represents a plungerrod operatedfrom thepower unit within the housing and ,recipro- 6.

cableithereby through a packing. gland3. The plunger rod extends forwardly through the gland 9 plunger .8 reciprocates. r

The cylinder block'l'i is bored transversely a at 20 to form a fluid supply conduit extending across the tops of thecylinder bores I. The supplyof cooling andlubricating fluid to the conduit 20- is controlled. by a valve 2|. The rear extension} of the cylinder block 6 is vertically bored as at 22 to form a delivery conduit opening to the rear end of the bore 1 and a pipe 23 connects the conduit 22 with the supply conduit 20. Lubricatin and cooling fluid such as water admitted through the valve 2| is thus directed to the plunger 8 immediately to the rear of the packing throat l and within the rear end of the bore 1 so that the fluid is effectively directed around all sides of the plunger to wash, cool and lubricate the plunger before the fluid escapes from the rear end of the bore into the drip well Hi.

In order to assure an adequate supply of fluid to the plunger and still prevent an oversupply of fluid which might splash rearwardly into the housing I the cylinder block 6 is bored vertically as at 24 and rearwardly as at 25 to form an overflow passage elevated above the supply conduit 20. In operation the valve 2| will be opened sufficiently to cause a small overflow through the passages 24 and 25 which overflow can readily be observed by the operator. Should the pressure at the valve 2| be reduced or increased, change in pressure will be readily apparent by observing the overflow and can be compensated forby adjustment of the valve.

It will thus be seen that my coolant supply mechanism assures an adequate and easily controllable supply of lubricating and cooling fluid tothe plunger.8 so that the plunger is effectively washed without creating any splash or jet of fluid which might work its way rearwardly and overload the packing gland and packings 4. The apron [8 on the cover ll further protects the forward end of the plunger rod 2 from excess fluid and a collar 26 is preferably mounted on the forward end of the plunger rod to cooperate with the apron l8 in'preventing fluid from reaching the packing gland.-

I have thus described a highly practical commercial embodiment of my lubricating and cooling mechanism so that others may reproduce the mechanism with such minor modifications as may appear desirable to diflerentpersons.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1.'In a pump, the combination of a cylinder block provided witha cylinder bore, said cylinder block .having a boss-like extension on its rear side into which the cylinder bore extends, a power unit for said pump comprising a housing on which said cylinder block is mounted, a plunger rod, said housing being provided with a packing through which said plunger rod reciprocates, a drip well between said cylinderblock and plunger rod packing, a plunger reciprocable said cylinder bore and having a threaded coupling stud at its rear end, said plunger rod ,having an internally threaded bore in its'front and adapted to receive the said threaded stud of said plunger, the plunger having a portion at its rear end adapted for engagement by a wrench, a cover for said drip well having afront wall spaced from the rear end of the cylinder block extension and provided with an opening through which the plunger reciprocates, a water supply conduit in disposed'in a'plane above said delivery connectiorriand a controlvalve for said water supply Iponduit.

2. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder block provided with a cylinder bore, a power unit for said pump comprising a housing on which said cylinder block is mounted, a plunger rod, said housing being provided with a packing through which said plunger rod reciprocates, a drip well between said cylinder block and plunger rod packing, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder bore and connected to the front end of said plunger rod, a cover for said drip well having a front wall spaced from the rear end of the cylinder block and provided with an opening through which the plunger reciprocates, an enclosedwater supply conduit in said cylinder block, and a delivery connection from said conduit discharging water upon the plunger and within the rear end of said bore.

3. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder block provided with a cylinder bore, a power unit for said pump comprising a housing on which said cylinder block is mounted, a plunger rod, said housing being provided with a packing through which said plunger rod reciprocates, a drip well between said cylinder block and plunger rod packing, a plungerreciprocable in said cylinder bore and removably connected to said plunger rod, a cover for said .drip wall having a front wall spaced fromthe rear end of the .cylinder block and provided with an opening through which the plunger reciprocates, a bafile mounted on said plunger rod adjacent its front end, a water supply conduit in said cylinder block, and a delivery connection from said conduit to within the rear of said bore for discharging water upon the plunger.

4. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder block provided with a cylinderbore, a power unit for said pump, a plunger rod operated by said power unit and provided with apacki-ng, a drip well between said cylinder'block'and plunger rod packing, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder bore and detachably connected to said plunger rod, a cover for said drip well having a front wall spaced from the rear end of the cylinder block and provided with an opening through which the plunger reciprocates, -,a baffle mounted on said plunger rod at the outer side of said packing, a fluid supply conduit associated with said block, anda delivery connection from said supply conduit discharging upon the plunger within the rear end of said bore.

5. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder block provided with a cylinder bore, a power unit for said pump comprising a housing on which said cylinder block is mounted, a plunger rod, said housing being provided with a packing through which said plunger rod reciprocates, a drip well between said cylinder block and plunger rod packing, a plunger reciprocable in said cylinder bore and connected to the .front end of said plunger rod; a cover for said drip well having a front wall spaced from the rear end of the cylinder block and provided with an opening through which the plunger reciprocates, an enclosed water supply conduit in said cylinder block, and a delivery connection from said conduit discharging water upon the plunger and-within the rear end of said bore, the rearend of said bore wherein said delivery connection opens being of larger diameter than said plunger.

6. In a pump, the combination of a cylinder block, a power unit for said pump, a drip well betweensaid cylinder block and said power unit,

-a plunger operatedreciprocally within said cylhinder block and having a rear portion project: 4 I

' UNITED STATES PATENTS ing therefrom for actuation by said power unit, Number Name Date means Supplying liquid said Pmiectmg 332,346 Jungenfeld et a1. Dec. 15, 1885 tion of said plunger outside of said block, and EJ632001 Stumpf A 29, 1899 a cover for said drip well having a wall extending 5 1,337,623 smith Aug 16, 1921 downward below top 01' said plunger and spaced g Smith Nov 13, 1924 from said block at a point toward the power unit 1 11,792,646 Leonard m 1931 from the point at which liquid is supplied to the 2,146,709 Bird et a1 Feb 14' 1939 plunger and provided with an opening throughil t 2.272362 Yohpe Feb. 10, 1942 which said plunger rfiin gocatesb A. YOHPE. 10H FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date EFE N ES CI 12,192 Great Britain May 22, 1913 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 15 

